Becoming a Chief Marketing Officer in the financial services

In our latest seminar event, we explored how to reach the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) level within the financial services industry. If you’re a financial services Marketing Leader looking to progress your career to C-suite, this is the resource for you! 

On Wednesday 26th March 2025, specialist marketing recruiter, Jaemien Serrano, hosted a seminar event for marketers in the financial services sector. Climbing the career ladder to the Chief Marketing Officer role can be daunting. To help marketers take control of their career, Jaemien brought together a panel of leaders in the space to share their routes to CMO.  

Our panel was comprised of: 

• Sumeet Vermani, accomplished CMO with experience leading marketing and digital transformation for some of the biggest companies in media, technology and financial services including ESPN, Symantec and Worldpay. Sumeet now operates as a Strategic Advisor, working with investors, boards and leadership teams at large enterprises and scale-ups as they navigate the transformation of go-to-market strategy in an AI world. 
• Kate Thunnissen, established CMO, having led marketing teams across multiple geographies at large corporates and scrappy start-ups. Most recently the CMO at NatWest Boxed (the bank's embedded finance arm), Kate fell into financial services, managing various marketing initiatives at JPMorgan's investment bank and asset management divisions, and leading marketing at Dealogic and AlphaSense, successful FinTechs backed by PE. 
• Sarah Conrad, experienced Chief Marketing Officer. Most recently the CMO at Monzo, Sarah is a Senior Marketing Leader and Board Advisor with a proven record of marketing success at groundbreaking brands, such as Google and HBO, and growing start-ups, such as Culture Trip. 

Together, they discussed: 

• Their unique paths to financial services CMO
• What it means to become a Chief Marketing Officer

Keep reading to discover the key takeaways from their conversation. 

Career path to Chief Marketing Officer

Many believe that to reach the top, you must follow a pre-established, linear path. However, over recent years, we are seeing more and more Marketing Leaders building diverse careers to reach the top.

Each of our speakers had a unique route to becoming CMO in financial services businesses. In fact, everyone started their careers outside of the industry. From media and entertainment to tech and consulting, their varied backgrounds became a strength, not a setback. 

The benefit of a diverse CV 

Marketing Leaders moving from one industry to another bring a lot of value to organisations. Companies have a unique opportunity to leverage the knowledge of marketers who have been driving business across different sectors.   

“The benefit of having come from lots of different sectors meant that I could come with a fresh perspective.”

Sumeet Vermani shared that he recognised just how far behind financial institutions were compared to tech companies. His diverse knowledge across these competitive landscapes allowed him to lead marketing plans to drive success in FS. 

Moving into financial services 

In the current recruitment market, moving between industries can be difficult. Jaemien shared how companies are often “looking for a square peg for a square hole” right now. Breaking into a tightly regulated and largely traditional space, like financial services, means you need to build trust quickly.  

Sarah Conrad shared how important it is to position yourself effectively in the market. She moved into Monzo by framing her experience well and marketing herself... 

“I’m category-agnostic. I’ve sold tech, travel, entertainment, and finance. I focus on the fundamentals - understanding the customer and driving results.” 

What does it mean to be a Chief Marketing Officer?

The shift from Marketing Director to Chief Marketing Officer can be more significant than you might think. It's worth researching the role before pursuing it to make sure the opportunity is right for you. 

More than a function leader

There’s a significant mindset shift that must happen when becoming a CMO. As you join the C-suite, you no longer simply lead a function. You now play a key part in the leadership of the entire organisation.  

To do this, you must broaden your thinking outside of the marketing agenda and consider the entire business strategy. Sometimes the two do not always align, making this shift more complex. 

You're no longer 'just' marketing

As the CMO, you’re embedded in board meetings and strategy planning, moving away from the team and the execution of marketing activities. 

“You don’t actually do a lot of marketing.” 

Kate Thunnissen shared, “You’re managing the team, you’re trying to encourage them to do the right thing, but you don’t actually do a lot of marketing. It's not your job anymore.” If you enjoy this part of your role above anything else, it’s worth considering whether the CMO job is right for you. 

Skills needed to be a CMO

There were several skills or traits mentioned throughout the conversation that you needed to become a Chief Marketing Officer. Here are some of the key ones: 

• Commerciality: Marketing expertise will only get you so far. You must understand the nuts and bolts of the business to make informed, strategic decisions. 
• Relationship-building: A large part of the role is about influence. Building relationships and knowing how best to communicate with individuals is key to success. 
• Curiosity: Gathering all the information and data to make strategic decisions can sometimes be tricky. As a CMO, you must be curious about everything your told and dig deeper where needed. 
• Communication: Clear communication skills are required for most roles in 2025. However, as a C-suite Leader, you need to understand how much detail to communicate to the CEO and what data is only useful for the marketing team. 

These four core skills were agreed to be crucial to becoming a Chief Marketing Officer. If you’re interested in making the move one day, you should focus on upskilling these areas most of all. 

Taking ownership of the narrative

While relationship-building is key to being a CMO, there is a balance you need to strike. Many argue that you always need to take people on the journey, but don't forget that you're the marketing expert. The strategy is yours, owning it will gain you more trust across the business.

"If you’re aggressive about owning it people will respect you a bit more."

Ready to explore marketing jobs in financial services?

We want to extend a big thank you to our panelists for their time and expertise on the topic of becoming a Chief Marketing Officer. If you missed out on this event and would like to join us next time, register your interest here. 

If you’re looking for your next marketing opportunity in the FS industry, be sure to connect with our expert recruiters. Plus, you can find our latest roles here.